Stack's Urban Harvest

06/01/2026

The heat is on, and most of Florida is hoping for a good rainy season this year. It's the perfect time for planting! Forget trying to grow temperate-climate vegetables here during the summer – you'll have more success with sub-tropical and tropical crops.

Here's what to put in the ground now (plants or seeds): achira, African blue basil, aibika, amaranth, arrowroot, boniato, cassava, chaya, chayote, cranberry hibiscus, galanga, katuk, long beans, longevity spinach, malabar spinach, malanga, molokhia, moringa, Okinawa spinach, okra, ruby hibiscus, sissoo spinach, southern peas, oregano, papalo, quilquina, roselle, sweet potatoes, taro/dasheen and tindora.

Many of these are perennial crops that can be planted once and harvested for years, or they will self-seed year after year. What are you waiting for?

Follow this page for regular updates on what to plant and harvest each month, as well as growing tips all month long!
https://www.facebook.com/GrowerJimsPlantsAndProduce/

05/29/2026

Saw my first ever Milkweed Assassin Bug this week!

These beneficial predators are often confused with leaf-footed bugs because the young nymphs can both look so similar. But there’s an easy clue: assassin bugs are usually lone hunters, while those leaf-footed gangsters tend to roll in groups.

Assassin bugs are helpful in the garden, feeding on pests like aphids, mosquitoes, caterpillars and other soft-bodied insects. That said… appreciate them from a respectful distance. Their bite is reportedly VERY painful if handled carelessly.

Follow the journey, and let's grow together. 🌿

05/28/2026

It’s the perfect time to start planting your summer cover crops. 🌿

This 3-part series dives into how I use cover crops for root knot nematode management while building healthier, more resilient soil naturally.

Cover crops can help:
• Recycle nutrients
• Build fertility and soil structure
• Prevent erosion
• Suppress weeds and disease-causing organisms
• Regulate moisture
• Attract pollinators
• Feed beneficial microbes
• Protect soil life from intense summer sun

PART 1: Why I made the big switch from soil solarization to cover cropping.
👉 https://youtu.be/nQY6cEGuU8Q

PART 2: The three cover crops I planted, and the benefits of each.
👉 https://youtu.be/Tz1FZJx-b2k

PART 3: How I terminate cover crops in a “no-till” garden and prepare for fall/winter planting.
👉 https://youtu.be/fb70bV2ofr0

Cover crops are grown during the off-season primarily to enhance soil fertility. Additionally, they offer a multitude of other benefits, such as nutrient rec...

05/27/2026

Healthy soil doesn’t act like a bucket.

It acts like a sponge.
Reposted from

When fungi, roots, worms, and organic matter build structure, the soil creates pore spaces that capture and store water.

05/25/2026

05/25/2026

I honestly wasn’t sure I wanted this tree at first.

The previous owners planted a Hong Kong Orchid tree right in the area where I plan to create the food forest, and my first thought was… this may have to go.

But the more I learned about it, the more my opinion changed.

It grows fast, creates a lot of biomass, and can potentially become an excellent “chop-and-drop” support tree, helping feed the soil, build organic matter, and protect the ground naturally.

Then came the surprise I really wasn’t expecting…

It’s attracting ladybugs. Lots of them.

Not just the usual ones either. I’ve been spotting multiple species, including the adorable twice-stabbed lady beetles.

And that completely changed how I see this tree.

One thing I’ve been reminded of lately is that not every plant in a food forest has to produce food. Some plants earn their place by supporting the system itself.

Some build soil.
Some create biomass.
Some attract beneficial insects.
Some provide shade, mulch, habitat, or balance.

This tree appears to be doing several of those jobs already.

And those showy flowers aren’t hurting its case either. 🌸🐞

Let's grow together and follow the journey. 🌿

05/24/2026

Yesterday was a good reminder of how much the beauty of nature shows up when you’re paying attention.

I visited the Pike Food Forest and spent some time walking through a space that’s still evolving with layers of food, habitat, and intention all building toward something larger than any single season.

Then back home, the sky decided to take over the show. The sunset broke into streaks of light across the horizon with soft, bold, and impossible to ignore.

From a living system in progress to a sky doing its own version of abundance, it was a simple, beautiful way to close out the day.

BTW, the Pikes have an Airbnb on the property and you can collect cuttings during your stay. 🌿

05/17/2026

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EM-1 (Effective Microorganisms) is a liquid probiotic that contains a combination of beneficial microorganisms, including lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and photosynthetic bacteria. It can be used in a variety of applications, such as agriculture, gardening, waste management, and cleaning. When applied to soil or plants, EM-1 helps improve soil structure, increase nutrient availability, and promote plant growth.

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05/17/2026

It’s often the simple things that lift my day… like discovering that my newly propagated Jamaican cherry for the new food forest is already blooming, at only about 18" tall. 🌱

Follow the journey. And let’s grow together. 🌿

05/15/2026

This music-driven piece bridges the ending of one food forest and the beginning of the next. ✨🎞️

But what I thought would be a fresh start quickly turned into a lesson I never saw coming.

Follow the journey, and let’s grow together. 🌿

After years of building a food forest in South Florida, it’s time t...